Hey all. I just needed to share something that’s been weighing on me for a while. I used to really love THS. I’ve done about 40 sits, most of them fantastic. I learned the ropes, adapted to different personalities, and became really good at knowing which sits were a good fit. But one sit shook me so badly that I took a year off — and even now, I only sit occasionally, and only when I’m absolutely sure it’s the right situation.
This sit seemed great on paper: beautiful multimillion-dollar home in a tourist town, two awesome dogs, and just 40 minutes from my home. We met online first, and then I even went out in person for a meet and greet as a courtesy to her. She seemed a little anxious — said she’d had issues with past sitters — but nothing that raised red flags. I wanted to reassure her, so I showed her how caring and attentive I am and understanding of her needs. She had more rules than usual, but I figured she was just being extra careful.
However, she changed her travel dates three times, and I stayed flexible. Then, two days before the sit, she called me in a panic asking where I was. She thought I was late. I had triple-checked the latest dates and was sure I had it right, but something had gotten miscommunicated. Still, I dropped everything and rushed over right away to help her out. Luckily, I hadn’t waited until the last minute to pack, but I had to cancel my plans to accommodate her.
The actual sit went totally fine. The dogs were awesome and we had a great time. However, on her return, which was five hours earlier and without notice, I was out having tea with a friend, so I wasn’t there when she arrived. I’d asked her to let me know her return time, but she didn’t. Instead, she got home, found I wasn’t there, and put all my belongings on the street. Suitcase, laptop, clothes — everything. When I returned, I was stunned. She just looked at me coldly and said, “I told you anything left behind would be thrown out.” I remembered her saying that, but thought she meant, like, a toothbrush or shampoo!
Then she left me a nasty and totally false review, claiming I left the house messy (it was spotless), accused me of stealing used pillows (??), and generally tried to trash my reputation. I had perfect reviews from every sit before and after this, but this one woman completely tanked my profile.
I tried to leave a fair but cautious review, simply saying I couldn’t recommend the sit. I held back on the details to avoid retaliation, trusting that THS would handle things behind the scenes. But they didn’t. She’s still active and I’m the one left with the damage on my profile. Now, I wonder how many good sits I may not get because of this one horrendous review. The whole thing made me stop loving THS. So sad when I think about it.
Just needed to get this off my chest. I know many of you are great sitters too, and it’s heartbreaking when one host and a lack of support from the platform make you question everything. Thanks for listening.